City Loan to Beach Theater Foundation Resolved

CAPE MAY – Seven years ago the Beach Theater Foundation began its effort to save and revitalize the theater as a city historical property. In order to secure a lease from the owners of the property, the foundation sought and received a $100,000 loan from the city. The loan was secured through a series of individual agreements to repay any portions of the loan that the foundation was unable to cover. In 2011, the foundation was unable to stop the demolition of the theater when its suit against the city was dismissed in Superior Court. Beginning in 2011, the foundation has been making payments of annual amounts against the original loan.
Bernard Haas, treasurer of the foundation, presented City Manager Bruce MacLeod with a check for $7,500 during the public portion of the Cape May City Council meeting Dec. 2. Haas noted that $87,000 had already been paid back on the loan and that the latest check represented the last payment of what was due in 2014.
With the check, 94 percent of the loan had been paid back by the foundation or by individual supporters who had guaranteed portions of the loan. He also said that the city, through plans to litigate against remaining guarantors, had recovered the remaining 6 percent.
A process that began with high hopes for saving the historic theater was plagued by controversy throughout its history, including the action by the foundation to take the city to court. In the end, the structure was demolished and the loan made whole. Haas’ presentation to council was meant to underscore the fact that “the BTF and its supporters have honored their loan obligations.”
Dredging Complete
Mayor Edward Mahaney announced that the dredging project for the harbor and associated waterways has been completed. Mahaney noted that the pre-dredging surveys and post-dredging surveys showed that the public channels are cleared to the designated levels. The dredging moratorium imposed by environmental protection regulations from Jan. 1 to May 30 still impacts timeliness with which some residents can get private slips dredged.
FEMA
Mahaney reminded the public that the city will host an educational event at Convention Hall concerning the new FEMA maps and flood insurance requirements. The open session, which the city will host for all county municipalities, will be Dec. 12 between 4 and 8 p.m. Work stations will be available at the meeting to allow property owners to see exactly where their property sits in terms of the maps, what mitigations are possible, what the flood insurance rates will be, and what hazards could be elevated to keep insurance rates down.
Sustainable N.J. Awards
Mahaney proudly displayed the plagues that represented the city’s recent awards from Sustainable N.J., a non-profit organization affiliated with the state Department of Environmental Protection. The annual awards are coveted by state municipalities. Cape May has been designated as a silver level municipality; the highest level awarded, and also received the small municipality champion award for municipalities below 5,000 population.
It was the third time in four years that the city has been designated the small municipality champion. In accumulating points for its position among small municipalities, the city actually ended up with more points than any state municipality at any size level.
Mahaney made special note of the fact that the city has each year elected to go through the recertification process. The certification level, silver in the case of Cape May, is awarded for a period of three years before the municipality must recertify.
However, any municipality can elect to go through the recertification process in advance of that period. Mahaney said that the city benefits from the effort to seek recertification annually since its helps ensure that the efforts underway in the city are always kept “fresh” and are “working as intended.”
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.